Colder Than Snow
by sky-lee
Summary: Kataang/Tokka/Aangst. "Why must everything fall apart before my eyes?" "I guess you're just unlucky." Aang is gone and Katara is determinded to find him and get him back. Aangst, sarcasm, adventure, moderate fluff. Review!
1. Chapter 1: Dealing

**A/N: So, I mentioned something about working on a story that surronded my songfic, right? Well...here's the first chapter. It doesn't explain much more than the songfic, but yet again...here it is! I'll be sure to post chapter 2 soon. It's told from Katara's perspective so this should be interesting.**

**Note- Once as story gets on, I'm going to need to take a break from writing such sad things. A few random oneshot plot bunnies have been hopping around my head for the past week. Augh. I'll be back with that as time goes on.**

**Chapter Song- All That I've Got- The Used ( Perhaps I'll make a playlist for all these songs eventually)**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, characters or any of the other awesomely epic components of the show. The rambling is all mine, though I don't think anyone would WANT to steal that.**

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Chapter One- Dealing

It was official. I was home sick.

"Katara!" Gran- Gran shouted.

I spun around and squinted into the sun reflecting off the snow as I searched for her face. She was leaning outside the second story window of our new home built by "Gran Pakku".

"Mhm?"

"Please come scrape the stove of this morning's breakfast! And I think Oki threw up in there somewhere." she shouted.

I glanced down at my newly acquired baby dolphin-cat. She stared up at me with those huge innocent eyes…I didn't buy it for a second. "Perfect," I muttered to her.

I pulled my feet out of the snow and entered through the stone doors of our new cottage. The silence was deafening. I could hear the ocean outside lapping against the icy shore. Nothing was comforting about this ice monstrosity. At all.

Yes. I was definitely home sick. These houses, this place, even my family made me sick to my stomach.

The house only reminded me how much had changed. My family had been driving me crazy. Suki and Sokka were spending some time on Kyoshi Island, leaving me alone with my dad, Gran-Gran and Pakku. Worst of all, my relatives from a neighboring village were visiting. The kids were all boys, all younger, and infuriatingly annoying.

The Southern Water tribe was rebuilt into a cultured and developing society. It was nice to see, but it looked nothing like the home of my childhood. Instead, it looked like an icy Earth kingdom city. Stone was imported to help stabilize the structures so our houses were no longer pure ice. Gardens of lichens and other hardy plants decorated the town. New plants had even been discovered. Towards the north, a tree called the pine-oak was founded. They grew like weeds, growing up to a foot in a day. These trees had finally spread to our village and covered great expanses of land in between villages. They were gorgeous, majestic, and even provided us with food, but I held no intrinsic value to them. The trees were too new for me to associate them with home.

"Home is where the heart is?" I said bitterly as I scrubbed the stove clean. "Home is about two thousand feet above ground, flying high in the sky. Home is where the heart is?" I threw my cleaning rag to the icy floor. "LIES!" I shouted, listening to the outburst carry throughout the house. Foot steps came clunking down the stairs.

Oops.

"Katara?" I heard my dad's voice inquire.

I resisted the urge to run out of the house and hide in a snow bank. I'd rather freeze than listen to another one of his "coping with the situation at hand" talks.

"Hmm?" was all I answered.

His figure appeared in the entry way from the stairwell. "You seemed pretty angry. Anything you would like to talk about?"

_Not with you_, I thought spitefully. I turned around to look at his face. It was full of genuine concern. All my rage dissipated briefly. I suddenly felt horrible for pushing him away recently. Here was this man who gave up everything to keep whatever was left of his family safe. I let out a resigned sigh.

"No, Dad. Just the same old deal. I'm just frustrated with these chores. Blubbered seal jerky isn't so easy to scrape of stoves. Especially in sub-thermal temperatures."

"So you're calling it a liar?"

"…wouldn't you?'

He rolled his eyes and sat down on a skin covered chair. He folded his hands in lap and examined my face. His position reminded me of the time when Sokka was pretending to be a psychiatrist in the Fire nation. I stifled a laugh; this was not a time to be giggling about Sokka's shenanigans. That was a happy time, even if it was a few nights before a possibly deadly invasion. I wouldn't have called this particular time "happy". My dad's cough interrupted my daydream and I snapped back to reality.

"You don't have to lie to keep your pride, Katara. I know you're upset, honey, but what Aan-"

"I never even mentioned that. He has nothing to do with my problems now." He shot me a look that suggested other wise.

"Katara, the more you shrug it off, the worse you'll feel. Opening up helps you heal. I felt tons better after talking to Gran- Gran."

"Dad," I complained. There was no reason for him to dwell on his lost love. He had done so much for us already.

"I mean it. We should just talk about it. You will be surprised how much better you will feel."

Now my patience was wearing thin. I felt a tantrum coming on. Probably because of the time I spent with those brats. If there was a competition of "Greatest Tantrum Thrower", they would win the bronze, silver, and gold.

"No. I won't feel better. It'll just be opening up old wounds and that's not something I need. Not now, not ever. Just leave me alone and let me "cope" with this in my own way. I thought I was doing a fine job, personally."

My voice regained some of the life it used to have in it. Unfortunately, it only reappeared so I could yell and whine at my father. It made me no better than one of the cousins I resented. Absolutely perfect.

My dad's eyes grew wider as he cringed away from me. Where had I seen that before? I tried to think of where I had seen it, completely wrapped in the memories of my seemingly distant past. Oh! It was like the face Sokka had when I freaked out on him before we found…I turned around to make sure I didn't split the wall in half. No damage done.

"Well, if that's what you want," he timidly replied.

"Yes."

"Well…"

"Well, what?" I said fiercely.

"Nothing, I'll leave you alone. Try not to reprimand the scale- ball in the corner over there."

"Sure, fine whatever," I spat. Geez, what was my problem? I couldn't seem to leave the guy alone.

Once as my dad exited the house, I leaned tiredly against the counter. It couldn't have been later than ten o'clock, and I already wanted to go back to bed. I finished cleaning the stove and swiftly cleaned the corner with a flick of waterbending. I glanced around the room, checking to see if there was anything else to do. Lunch was thawing on the counter and the rest of the house was organized. I knew that for a fact for I was the one who did it. Though everything was as perfect as I could make it, something didn't feel right. I circled the bottom of the house, checking for some discrepancy, but found nothing. Fed up, I headed out of the house and into the raw winter air. I headed up a small snow bank and was greeted by the infinite ocean. I sighed and breathed in the salty ocean air.

Just when all seemed semi- okay, it happened; the wind blew. Not just a small breeze, but a huge, bone-chilling gust. It tore through me, exposing the insecure, broken child beneath. Memories of him flashed before me. My throat to closed, choking me.

Oh, maybe that's what was wrong; the fact that Aang was gone. Not dead, but he mind as well have been. It'd been three months since I'd last heard from him and more than likely my last. The emptiness killed me slowly. How was I ever supposed to get over this? Any movement of the air was like a taunting mockery of him.

Living on the coast certainly wasn't helping the situation, either. Wind was quite common here.

"I need to get out of here," I whispered to myself as I curled up in a ball on the frigid snow beneath me.


	2. Chapter 2: Brooding

**A/N: This whole adding another chapter every day will normally not happen. I've just been overly inspired and trying to write things as fast as I can think it. I personally don't like this chapter too much. Meh...tell me what you think! I would love to know your thoughts on it!**

**Song- Say This Sooner- The Almost **

**Disclaimer- I do not own Avatar or the other awesomely epic components of the show. If I did, I would be my own hero.**

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Chapter Two- Brooding

"Katara, are you even listening to me?"

"Huh?"

Pakku's hand collided with his forehead. 'We were going over the reverse water whip form. Remember?'

Honestly, no. I hadn't. "Oh, of course."

My mind was no where near here today. Not that it ever really was, but it seemed farther than usual. Maybe it was just the day. It was overcast and gloomy; a perfect day for sitting around listening to brooding thoughts. I seemed to be chock full of them lately.

"Why don't we call it a day? You don't seem to into this at all today."

I nodded in agreement with the last statement. It was so true. Every motion, no matter how miniscule, felt terribly difficult to do. We bowed and our session was dismissed. We walked into the house to find my dad, Gran- Gran and the boys huddled around a fire in the seating area. Pakku resumed his usual place by Gran-Gran and pecked her on the cheek. A unanimous "ew" was chorused from Ming, Li, and Ryoma, my cousins. I sighed heavily and slumped in a chair in the corner.

Ryoma was at my side in a flash. "So, did you do any super cool new water magic moves, Katara?" he questioned, wide eyes intent on my face.

"Not really."

"Did you have fun?'

"Sort of."

"Are you going to practice tomorrow?"

"Maybe."

Ming snorted and looked up from his book.

"What?" I retorted.

"Yeah, what's funny Ming?" Ryoma asked, eager to be in on the joke.

He placed a bookmark on the page was reading, and placed the book in his empty lap.

"I find it funny that you actually believe her."

I threw my hands up in the air, exasperated. "Oh my spirits. Are you kidding me? How many times have we gone over this?"

"Apparently not enough," Li commented as he continued sharpening a knife Pakku gave him.

"Yeah, like you feel any different than him," I replied angrily pointing in Ming's direction.

"I do. I know you can waterbend. I'm not as ignorant as my brother."

"That's a cute joke," Ming snorted.

"No, really. You're so obsessed with your books that you don't realize what an idiot you are. Katara is water bending master. Even Pakku says so. He would never lie."

"It's impossible," Ming started. "All waterbenders were taken away by the firebenders years ago. And we don't have any in our family!"

"It's not inherited!" I shouted furiously. "It's part of me. Just me. Not this family, or anyone else. I don't see what your problem is. You've even seen me do it! If that doesn't prove me right, then you must be the biggest idiot in the whole South Pole."

"None of that is proven tru-" Ming was quickly interrupted by Ryoma.

"You're just jealous you can't waterbend, Ming! Leave her alone. I've seen her practice and she's amazing!" I looked at the boy graciously. It took a lot to side with people other than your siblings.

"Eh, not that amazing," Li said. "A guy could do so much better."

This was the exact reason why I hated these kids so much. Ming was a thirteen year old know-it all. Frankly, I thought he was angry at the fact that I was older and could do things he couldn't. He was one of those people who thought just because he read about everything that he would be naturally amazing at everything. His "I'm twenty times better than anyone on the face of the earth because I read one hundred books in an hour" attitude got on my nerves almost every time he opened his mouth. Li was sexist. Extremely sexist. He was ten and openly expressed how boys rule and girls drool. Sadly, I could almost excuse his ignorant thoughts; being around a jerk like Ming had to have an affect on one eventually. Ryoma, on the other hand, was a misunderstood soul. Always trying to fit in somewhere with Ming and Li while attempting to befriend everyone around him. He was six and hated having people mad. He tried to ease the tension between me and the boys constantly. Sure, he could come off as a suck up, but all he really wanted was everyone to be happy. I admired the kid for his effort.

"You kids are all horrible!" I shrieked. "You have no respect and just want to drive me crazy! No wonder your parents sent you here; they must go insane trying to deal with you guys!"

"Katara, stop," my dad interceded.

"No! I've had it with them and can't stand it anymore!"

He pointed his finger toward the stairs. "Go,"

I stared at him incredulously. "I'm not five, Dad."

"Well, you're sure acting like it. Just go away for now. This yelling isn't solving anything."

"Fine," I huffed and retreated to my room. I sat in silence at the edge of my bed. I knew I wasn't the one at fault. The boys had done me wrong and all I did was defend myself. Anger surged through me. I resisted the urge punch the wall.

Awhile later, I heard someone knock lightly on my door.

"Yeah?" I said apathetically.

My dad's face appeared through the door. "Hawky came."

I shot up in surprise. "Anything for me?" I whispered excitedly.

"Actually, it was only for you. Here," he said and handed me a scroll.

"Thanks," I said as I closed the door fervently on him.

I broke the messy wax seal (a trademark of Sokka) and was greeted by illegible scrawl all over the page. I almost felt sorry for the piece of paper. I mean, what had the paper ever done wrong? I could've sworn I saw grease stains from meat of some sort on it. I shook my head, already feeling slightly uplifted by the Sokka-ness of the letter. Since I couldn't much due to his hideous penmanship, I concentrated on the key words.

"Suki, I, home, two, lamps?" I stared at the word, trying to decipher the meaning of it. "Why can't you write clearly, Sokka?"

I walked over to my dresser and pulled a huge magnifying glass out of one the drawers. I inspected the word closely and realized he meant to write "days". I shook my head. How typical of him.

I ran downstairs and announced that Sokka and Suki would be here tomorrow. Dad smiled tightly and look away from my face quickly. Gran-Gran just nodded her head. Pakku acted like he couldn't even hear me. "Please guys, calm down. I'll try to find a container for your joy," I said caustically.

They exchanged a series of worried looks.

"What?" I asked curiously.

After a few silent moments, Pakku said, "Its great Sokka's coming home, but is it really a good idea for him to see you like…this?" He waved his hand tiredly towards me.

"Nothing is wrong with me, guys. Everything will be okay."

"No, you're really not, Katara," Gran-Gran chimed in. "You look empty, tired and sad. Who do you think Sokka is going to point the blame at?"

"Me? It's my fault for what state I'm in."

Dad shook his head. "No, he'll yell at us for not trying hard enough to make you happier. You're his baby sister and will never want to see you in anything less than perfect condition."

"That's a lie. He knows nothing's ever perfect. Spirits, he's a true example of it! I haven't seen my brother in two months and you're suggesting I stay away from him? You're all ridiculous! Of course I'll see him!"

"No," Pakku started, "we're just saying its best if he didn't come at this time."

"Shut up! All of you! Stop trying to make decisions for me. I'm so done with all of you constantly breathing down my neck and controlling me like a puppet."

"We only want what's best for you," Dad countered.

"Correction: you want what's best for all of YOU. You don't want to face Sokka's rage and are sacrificing my happiness for it. I'm done with all of you."

With that, I exited out the side door, stopping only to pick up traveling pack, without a glance backwards.


	3. Chapter 3: Remembering

**A/N: Hm. Yeah. Chapter three. I found this mostly depressing, but then again, a whole bunch of things are explained. The first two just kinda set up the with the other two chapters, there was some lovely sarcasm. Now it's just.....sad. Chapter 4 will be happier. I swear? :) Reviews would be awesome!**

**Song- Wait It Out- Imogen Heap**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Avatar. If I did, I would have: A. - Added myself into the show somehow. B.- Added thirty thousand times more Kataang. C.- Somehow manage to make Suki and Sokka end well so Sokka and Toph could get together. D.- Made Ozai obsessed with his massive pecs (that guy needed to be obsessed with something ridiculous, admit it). E.- Made more episodes based on improbable fanfiction (like the Ember Island Players! WOO!!) F.- Made Ozai die. ( Okay, I love how awesome Aang was in the end, but I really wanted Ozai dead. Am I that bad of a person?) G.- Made a Book 4...because the world could only benefit from more Avatar. That's all....for now.**

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Chapter 3- Remembering

The cold wind whipped my newly acquired shoulder length hair around my face. I shoved my brown locks into my hood and trudged into the distance, a destination already set. At the shoreline, I hopped on one the many chunks of frozen ice and waterbended my way out into the ocean. After a half hour, I arrived at the spot; Sokka and I had awoken Aang here. There was still a visible crater in the iceberg from where he broke free.

I put my backpack down with a huff and sat on the icy snow. _This would have to do,_ I thought. There was no way I could go back to the house. I would've just been bothered and lectured more about my conduct.

I rose and unrolled my sleeping bag. The sky was darkening already and I could feel fatigue settling in.

"Oh, South Pole, you just don't enjoy staying light, do you?" I asked rhetorically.

The wind answered me anyway, and an empty, morose feeling shot through me. In a frantic attempt to escape the pain, I crawled in the sleeping bag. Once warm and safe from the whipping air currents above, my mind tried to find a safe place to stay. The past seemed okay at the moment.

I thought of times when I wanted to scream and Sokka or Toph. And that time we had a dance party in a cave. And when pirates attacked us. And walking through the desert with Sokka drunk on cactus juice. And Aang earth bending. And Sokka's open relationship with meat. And Toph's endearing slobbery.

I missed those times so much it made my heart ache. They say living in the past is unhealthy, but the past is where all my good memories are.

But my mind knew better. Unpleasant memories were just as present, and I was soon entering a place I couldn't escape no matter how hard I tried.

It was just after the war. The nobles of the world decided we should have council to wrap up all loose ends before they unraveled again. Pretty soon, the Peace Conference was established. We, being the saviors of the world and all, were required to be there. It was held in the Fire Lord's palace over the course of four months. As much as I pined for snow and my home, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving my friends behind, Aang especially.

But, something was terribly wrong. He was blank, lifeless. Whenever questioned about his demeanor, he explained that the meetings were stressing him out. I knew better. Something deeper was driving him to act like this. I poked. I prodded. I flirted, _a lot._

As much as I tried, I came back empty handed. I was finally ready to tell him how I felt, how much I truly loved him, and he pushed me away. I was hurt and confused, but his leadership skills soared. His speeches were so convincing, he sent chills down my spine.

All the energy he had in his life was put into work. The second a meeting was adjourned, he would collapse; looking the closest to his former self I had seen in a long time. The first few meetings, I put my arms around him, trying my best to take some of the burden. I could clearly remember that first time. I snuck up behind his chair, and threw my arms around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt his body recoil as if I was Azula, attempting to shoot him with lightning. I tried not to be offended, covering it up with a few encouraging words.

"You did great," I whispered in his ear. "I could have sworn I saw General Fong wiping tears from his eyes."

He untangled himself from my grip. "Well, that's reassuring. Thanks. I'm going to get lunch…or something. 'Bye."

I should've taken it as a sign, but I stuck around hoping it was just post-war syndrome.

When the conference came to a close, we were each given a small necklace with a symbol for peace on it. One of the generals' wives had a serious case of cabin fever, so she spent her time designing jewelry and such for those involved in the meetings. Aang flew us all home on Appa, taking our time sight seeing or in Toph's case "basking in the hero worship." After dropping Suki and Toph, it was just the three of us again like old times. When we finally got home, I expected him to stay with us. Instead, he stayed put on Appa, checking his bag for provisions. I spun around and gawked at him incredulously.

"You're not coming?"

"No," he replied.

I climbed my way back onto the bison and sat right next to him. He readjusted, leaving a foot and a half of space. I had had enough of that; I pulled him by the arms directly in front of me. I put my face about two inches from his.

"What's wrong? Seriously, you've been so…blank since the war ended. Especially towards me. Did I do something wrong?"

"I don't get a break do I? I save the world for everybody and you don't that I'm maybe a bit overwhelmed? I lost so much…" He trailed off, wiping the only bit of emotion from his face quickly.

I put my arm around his shoulders. "I just want to help. You don't have to go through anything alone, ever. I'll stay here forever if that's what it will take."

He stood up, leaving my arm to drop back to my side. "No. I'm fine. Nothing is wrong. I'm just over-reacting. I just have to go."

Just when I thought I had cracked the code, the vault was bolted shut.

"No! You're not! It's as if you don't care anymore. And you just can't care. You need to! People need you to. You are the only way the peace stays. If you aren't concerned with it, everything will fall about at the seams!"

"…I feel as if you're talking about something more than just my 'indifference'."

Well, no duh.

"What did I do? You kissed me that night at the play, and I thought we would be together after this war ended. And we're not." It was almost exactly like what he said to me that night of the play. Oh, how the tables had turned

He put his hand on my shoulder. "I had to go through a lot to master the Avatar state, Katara."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Apparently, that had everything to do with it. He told me in an emotionless voice how I attached him to this world. How much he _had _loved me. I was the only thing preventing him mastering the Avatar state.

On the day of Sozin's comet, he only planned on putting his feelings on the back burner for a few minutes. He only needed minutes to defeat the Fire lord and save the world.

But something went terribly wrong.

The feelings never came back. When he saw me again, no feelings other than relief that I was safe were felt.

I listened to this, feeling the world slowly crash around me. Like glass, my could-have-been life fell apart in shatters. It all suddenly clicked. The way he looked at me- so empty and unresponsive now- meant nothing.

I pushed myself off the bison and retreated to my house. I kept myself composed as I gathered Aang some supplies for the trip. I avoided my family members as much as possible.

Sokka noticed immediately. "You 'kay?"

It was the hardest thing to do; as fake as it was, smile.

'Of course. It's great to be home. Um. I'll just give these to Aang. He's leaving."

Sokka's eyes widened. "No." He came in closer as if to comfort me. I stepped backward, repeating the gesture that had just been done to me.

I nodded. "I was the one who suggested it. He needs time to get himself in the right mind set to start living a normal lifestyle again."

"That's very…mature."

I shrugged. "We acclimate as we need to," I replied shakily as I slipped back out the door.

When I reached the place Appa was resting, I held out the bag of equipment. "Here, for the journey," I said in a tight voice. I tried my hardest to swallow the lump in my throat.

He floated down towards me, took the bag and catapulted it onto the saddle. He put his hand back on my shoulder. It was more of a patronizing action then anything else.

"Thank you for everything, Katara. You put up with my childish feelings and took care of me better than anyone could have. But it's time for you to find someone you love, and cares for you more than that. I can never give you that. I can't say I'm regretful; broken hearts mend eventually, right? Someone is out there for you. I can feel it."

He leveled a look at me. He seemed so old. Every ounce of his youth was gone. Even his features were older- he'd recently gained a few inches on me.

"I think it's best if I leave now. Goodbye."

"…Bye," I whispered.

I looked up to see him smile his new vacant grin, and I immediately repented my actions. Seeing the smile was just too much to bear. With that, he sat on the bison for the last time.

"Yip-yip," he stated, and off they went.

I touched the peace necklace around my. After everything, the only thing I was left was this stupid pendant.

"Too bad the man who could care for me the most just left," I whispered to myself as Appa's figure disappeared out into the horizon.


	4. Chapter 4: Greeting

**A/N: I know, I know. It's late. DON'T KILL ME PLEASE. But I finished it, and that counts for something, right? ....Right? So I believe this chapter is a result of A. My and my brother's nick names for each other (modified) B. My biffle Snarky-kins (note the hidden shout out) C. My love of the word abhor. D. Having personal experiences with cutting off hair for fun. D. My love of the phrase "way to be" E. .....Sokka and Katara's brother and sisterly love. They always crack me up in the show. Tell me what you think! I'd love to hear! (not so blatent subliminal messaging.)**

**Song- Breakable by Ingrid Michaelson**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Avatar or any of the other epic components of the show.** **I'm sure Bryke would be pretty pissed off I claimed I did. I don't think anyone would want to face the wrath of Bryke. That could be deadly.**

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Chapter 4- Greeting

I woke up completely dazed, confused and in the middle of the ocean. Needless to say, it had been a rough night. I lethargically stretched out, releasing the tension from my cramped muscles. I sat up and bended some of the ice water onto my face, practically forcing myself awake. I found some blubbered seal jerky in my bag and attempted to eat the frozen strip of meat. It was equivalent to chewing a boulder. Appetite ruined, I sat on my sleeping bag, meditating in the stony- erm, icy- silence around me. A thought occurred to me suddenly: Sokka would be home today.

The same uplifting mood that I got when I read his letter yesterday came over me. My brother, my best friend since birth, would be home. I'd missed him so much. The months without him hurt almost as much as those without Aang.

It felt like that as soon as we'd returned home, he was leaving. His explanation was valid; he was going to Kyoshi to visit with Suki. I was heartbroken, my world just becoming darker and darker.

My life was orderly and chaos-free since he'd left home. I absolutely abhorred it. Sokka's messy and slovenly nature gave me something to do. I was left with a bunch of free time without my slob of a brother to correct.

As quick as possible, I surfed my way home again, desperate to arrive before he would. I barged through the house like a rabid animal, trudging up to my room to make myself decent.

I washed and combed through my hair, relieving it of the knots and stink it had acquired from the night before. My outfit was exchanged for a clean one without stains and wrinkles. I tried my best to look casual, but put together. In short, it took me a good twenty minutes to look like I had just rolled out of bed. Awesome.

A sharp wrap sounded on my door. I opened it, expecting Sokka to be standing in front of me. My enthusiasm was crushed when I was met by the face of my grandmother.

"You're home! We were all so worried!" She pulled me into an awkward one person hug. I stood there, arms at my sides, engulfed by her presence. My discomfort must have been apparent, so she pulled away bashfully.

"Sokka and Suki just arrived in town. Your father is picking them up now."

"Thanks," I replied anticlimactically. I watched her shuffle out of the room quietly and sat back on my bed.

"Get a grip, Katara. There's no way you can be all brooding and stuff with Sokka around."

A few deep breaths later, and I was back down stairs, sitting at the kitchen table waiting for their arrival. The second I heard voices nearing the house, I bolted out the door. Sure enough, there they were in the distance, my brother's figure lumbering toward us.

He spotted me, waved frantically, shoved his belongings into Suki's un-expecting arms, and sprinted towards me in a way that only Sokka can. In which order exactly, I don't remember.

I met him halfway and successfully withstood the force of the tackle he'd thrown upon me.

"Sister Sister the tide twister! Did ya miss me?"

"If you're referring to me missing being bashed around, then no," I replied, covering my sheer excitement with sheer snarky-ness. I maneuvered myself out of the life-threatening platypus-bear hug he had me in and threw him into a more acceptable one.

"I can't thank you enough for coming back."

"Would I ever abandon you at home alone?"

"Well, you did try to go off to war with Dad at age nine," I countered.

"...point well made."

Suki had finally caught up to us at this point and greeted me with her usual warm smile.

"Katara," she stated as I was pulled into yet again another hug. At least I returned this one.

"Oooo! I love this hair thing you've got going on! It looks great."

I blushed awkwardly, playing with a few free strands of my dark hair. "Thanks."

"Shouldn't we continue this reunion inside? It's freezing," my dad commented from behind. Best idea suggested all day.

Once inside the house, the three menaces jumped on Sokka, bringing the clueless warrior to the ground. He laughed brightly and roared mockingly as he pried each one off of him. They hadn't seen each other for so long, yet the camaraderie between the boys was reestablished within moments. To tell the truth, I was incredibly jealous. Not only was the bond between them so strong, but Sokka was already the favorite without trying. I envied the talent greatly.

We moved into the family room, and my dad started a fire with some spark rocks. The fire's heat permeated through the room quickly and anecdotes of the past few months were shared. I sat quietly, choosing not to share my lackluster and frankly depressing stories. I smiled, added little comments every few minutes, and sat politely. My dad cast me nervous glances and I tried to quell them by smiling tentatively. Sokka watched the exchange, eyes grower wider and wider. I never gave him enough credit to how perceptive he really was. He knew I wasn't happy; that I was faking the grin on my face. I toned it down and opted for a straighter, more curious look. This turned the full out stares into frequent glances in my direction. _Way to be, Katara. You've completely ruined this entire visit with your inability to act normal. Way .To. Be._

Preoccupied by how I acted, my thoughts strayed away from the mindless chatter of my family. The following twenty minutes seemed to be me having every action noted. I sat up. Sokka turned toward me. I slumped back. I blew my new bangs out of my face a la Toph. Sokka watched perplexed. I twirled my finger through my hair instead. Basically, I tried my best to avoid his attention. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful every single time.

To stop from going mad, I excused myself to start preparing dinner. Sokka trailed behind me, shut the door, and sat silently as I started cutting the fish Dad had brought home.

"Why did you cut all of your hair off?" Sokka finally asked.

I knew he was going to ask eventually. After Aang left, I was sent into a period of complete hibernation. I didn't eat or move; I slept or faked sleep. I knew my family was worried sick, but I just needed the time to be selfish and mope-y. My exit of the period involved me and a knife. Thankfully, this knife was taken to my hair, which I cut off in huge chunks. It felt like all of that suffering during that week of nothing was lifted off me. It was symbolic, sure, but I couldn't just stroll around with my hair uneven and jagged. I took a smaller knife, feeling much more practical, and cleaned up my edges and gave myself some bangs kind of. I left my bathroom feeling like a totally different person that day. Today though, I barely had the effort to explain my actions.

"Things needed to change," I stated simply.

He nodded his head sagely, too sagely for someone like Sokka.

"You know, the hardest part of moving on is letting go. "

"Tell me about it," I grumbled. I began dicing pineoak cones into bits for a soup. Nothing but the sound of chopping was heard for a few pregnant beats. Just then, my knife slipped and my finger sliced open. I shrieked and grabbed the nearest cloth to press on the wound. Sokka jumped up, at my side at once, examining the damage. It was just a minor cut- something I could heal easily. Instead I started sobbing, the knife incident acting as a catalyst to my long overdue meltdown. All those months of pent up sorrow were released at full blast. Poor Sokka didn't know what hit him.

"Spirits! I can't do anything right! No wonder he left! Why must the world fall apart before my eyes!?" I whimpered into his arm. He propped me up and wiped my eyes with another nearby rag.

"I guess you're just unlucky."

As brutally honest his words were, they brought me to my senses. I took a deep breath in as if I was going to start a training session with Pakku. I walked up to a nearby bucket of water and submerged my finger in its icy interior. After a few seconds of concentration, the cut was gone; sealed, healed and hardly noticeable. I regained my composure and relaxed in the calm after the storm. Sokka propped himself on the counter next to me, thoughts apparently trying to form themselves into a logical sentence.

"Its just not fair, you know?" he started finally.

"Ha. Yeah, But what do you mean specifically?"

"Our horrible luck; the two of us. First our mom, Yue, and now Aang. We just can't keep anyone we love around. "

I agreed with him for the most part. "What about Suki?"

He let out a long sigh. "I'm going to screw it up. I can feel it. Or she'll come to her senses. I'm not the type of guy she deserves."

"You're right. She's too badass for you. He shot me what I assumed was supposed to be a glare.

"Either way 'Tara, we just don't have ability to not worry. People like us can never get too comfy. Our situations could change at any minute. Any second."

"Its a life we're cursed to live with."

"Awe. I wouldn't take it that far. It doesn't suck that much..." he trailed off, pondering this for a moment. "...Screw that. Our situation sucks so much."

"That's what I thought."

We exhaled simultaneously. As bad as things were, I was glad I had Sokka on my side. If no one else would stand beside me, I could always count on him to.

"Lets go back to the fire. Things will seem less depressing in oppressive heat."

I chuckled. "After you Brother Brother like no other."


	5. Chapter 5: Traveling

**A/N: You know how I said this was so hard to write? No? Well, I was lying. This was the hardest thing to start. Zomg. Once as I got on a roll, I was done in like....two hours, give or take procrastination. It also hasn't helped that I've been sick for most of this month. Blegh.**

**If you want to see more of this, PLEASE REVIEW. I don't care if you're anonymous, just drop a comment. It could be a novel or a poorly constructed sentence, but don't read all of this and just go "Yup, well, I'm gonna leave now." You get the picture.**

**Song- Paper Thin Hymn by Anberlin. If you don't normally take my song recommendations, take this one. Such a good song.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Avatar or any of the other epic components of the show. I also do not own procrastination. I'm just a simple follower who practices the art frequently.**

* * *

Chapter 5- Traveling

The few days Sokka stayed with us were too good to be true. He taught me the new moves he had transcribed from fan to sword and I showed him what Pakku and I had been working on. It brought me back to a time when we were kids; even before our mother died. Suki treated me to much needed girl time ; a good two hours of picking on Sokka, shopping in town and endless talking. Even though spending time with Suki was great, I couldn't help but compare what it would be like if I had been with Toph. We may have fought like Hawky and Momo, but she was truly the best girl friend I had. She would have been Sokka's too, but that was a totally different story. He was so happy with Suki. I would never ruin his happiness with past possibilities. Still, I knew that they would have to leave eventually.

I jolted awake from a midday nap. I gazed around my room groggily and rubbed my eyes furiously, forcing myself to evaluate the situation. I remembered hearing the distant voices of Suki and Sokka arguing next door. I shook my head, trying to decipher what they were saying. Something about a visit? I couldn't remember. My dream had been nice, I knew that much. Swimming or flying or something. All of my dreams that week had been pleasant. No doubt an after affect of having Sokka around so much. I always felt happy, for a lack of a better word, with my oaf of a brother home. I arose, steadied myself as the blood rushed from my head, and patted silently down the stairs. I strolled into the kitchen to find Sokka and Suki in the middle of an obviously very heated debate.

"So what? I think she should get a choice in this, Suki! She should get the option to come with us!"

_Are they talking about me?_ I questioned as I slipped silently behind the wall.

"What makes you think she'd be any less miserable with us?"

I silently slapped myself. _Of course they are talking about me._

"Because she's my sister! Have you seen her face? Have you seen my family's reactions to her? Put two and two together."

"I thought this trip would be just the two of us..." Suki's voice trailed off anticlimactically.

Sokka's brusque whisper replied, "I love you, but I loved my sister first. If you don't want her to come, then you can go alone. I'd rather leave you alone then her."

The sound of a chair across the icy floor echoed in the silence. I stood statue still as Suki walked past me and up the stairwell. I waited a few moments and stepped into the receding light of the kitchen.

Sokka stared at my figure in the door way for a good second and sighed. "You heard that, didn't you?"

I swallowed hard and nodded. He motioned for me to sit next to him; I complied silently.

"Just because she said all of those things, it doesn't mean she likes you any less, 'Tara."

I bobbed my head mindlessly. I didn't want to accept any of this. _Why did I tear people apart?_ Sokka and Suki were good, they didn't deserve to be torn apart by me. Me, the broken little girl on the iceberg.

"Suki's an only child and doesn't understand the bond that siblings have. Sure, she's connected with the Kyoshi warriors, but they're not blood related. She just doesn't get it. I won't let you stay here on this block of ice to rot."

My breath caught quickly in my throat, choking me momentarily. I'd forgotten this feeling; being cared for.

"I don't think I can make myself go without you. What kind of brother would I be if I did?"

"A smart one," I whispered.

Sokka looked at me incredulously. "You can't be serious. My girlfriend hates me because I chose my sister over her, and my sister sides with my girlfriend?!?!"

"We have names," I offered.

Sokka shook his head vigorously. "No. I'm not unhappy with my choice. Family comes first. If Suki can't accept that fact, then so be it. I'm better off, right? Right?"

"Oh, go win your girlfriend back, Snoozles."

"Toph," Sokka uttered nostalgically. "I haven't seen her since Aang dropped her off at Gaoling after the Peace Conference. I miss her all the time..."

He saw the look of surprise flash momentarily across my face. I had been waiting for him to accept his feelings towards her since she joined our group.

"Since she was my best friend and all, ya know? I miss all of our jokes and such."

"Nice save," Suki's voice cut in. She strolled into the kitchen again, looking a little red in the face.

"Suki! I-"

She held out a hand. "Save it. I've known whether you have or not. I tried to just leave at the whole 'we're just friends' thing, but it clearly isn't. I'm not mad. If anything, I'm mad that you didn't notice sooner. Would've saved a lot of time, right?"

I glanced at Sokka who was sitting in his chair astounded. I agreed; I could hardly believe this was happening.

"Suki," Sokka's voice broke, "don't leave. I love you."

She smiled half- heartedly. "If only it could be enough. I can't keep trying to compete with her, Sokka."

"You're not in a competition."

"Oh, yes I am. I have been since the Serpent's Pass. I missed so much in that time away from you. I couldn't expect you to love me unconditionally in those months without communication. I would be stupid and naive if I did."

Tears were in both of their eyes. I looked down at the table, visually tracing patterns with my mind. It felt so wrong being there while my brother was going through such a personal time. I cursed myself for waking up when I did.

"So, what now?" Sokka finally replied.

"I'm taking the next ferry home to Kyoshi. I belong home with my warriors. Much to your disbelief, I do understand the bond of siblings. They are as much my family as Katara is to you. I've only realized now how disloyal I've been to them. This entire situation proves that this is for the best."

Sokka's head flinched ever so slightly into a nod.

"Goodbye, Sokka. Please stay in touch. It would be a crime if we didn't." With that, she placed a kiss on his cheek and disappeared into the descending night.

The door slammed with a bang so loud it rattled the house. I placed my hands on my brother's shoulders. "Sokka, I can't-"

"Pack your things. We leave tomorrow morning."

"What? Where?"

"I have three tickets for a ferry to the Fire Nation. I figure I'll just carry on with my original plan. I'll sell the additional ticket for cash."

"Fire Nation as in the palace? You had a ticket for me already?"

"Mhm. I figured you would want to see some old friends."

"Yes! Oh my gosh! I'll go get my stuff together!" I stood up and made a dash for my room. I heard a thump behind me and saw my brother slump onto the table.

"I knew I would lose her," he repeated over and over again.

I walked back into the room and put my arm around him. "Not your fault. You can't control other people's decisions. You can influence them, but in the end, they're still the one who made the choice."

He sat up and wiped the tears in his eyes before I could see them there. "Going for a walk to clear my head. Your bag better be packed by the time I'm back."

"I gotcha. See you later."

We finally departed and I continued back up the stairs to gather my things. As I entered the bathroom to get my comb and toothbrush, I felt someone watching me.

"This is my last thing, Sokka. Just let me put it in my bag."

A higher voice than I expected answered, "You're leaving?"

I spun around to find myself face to face with Ryoma. "Oh, didn't expect you there, bud. Yes, I'm leaving for awhile." I maneuvered my way around him and back into my room.

"You hate me," the little boy continued.

"Not even remotely, Ryoma! Why do you think that? Did your brothers tell you I hate you?" I envisioned myself doing multiple horrible things to Ming and Li.

"I just know, Katara." Every ounce of youth drained from his voice. "I'm one of them. Regardless about how you feel about me, you hate them. I've tried to show you I like you and admire you lots, but you push me away. I just want everybody to get along," he sniffled.

I crouched down to the small boy's level. "I'm not leaving because of you...or your brothers. Sokka invited me to see some old friends for a bit. I'll be back."

He looked back at me with huge blue eyes that resembled my brother's. How could I ever think about hating him?

"Promise?"

"Ryoma, I pinky swear I'll be back."

He smiled, hugged me, and ran back out of the room. Now, no matter what, I had to come back. For his sake.

* * *

The captain yelled deafeningly in my ear, "NEXT STOP, FIRE NATION CAPITOL!"

"Ouch," I whispered.

Sokka offered me a small smile and went to pick up our minimal luggage. No matter how long we were staying, Zuko would have plenty of extra supplies if we needed it.

Minutes later, we docked at the royal port. I thanked the loudmouth captain and bounded off the ship. Inhaling the thick humid air, I let the sun drape itself over my arms. Being in a new surrounding had definitely cheered me up. Unfortunately, Sokka was less enthused. He walked emotionlessly up to the carriage waiting for us and motioned for me to follow. As I opened the door to let myself in, I was welcomed by an old friend.

"Sokka, Katara. It's so great to see you both," Zuko greeted with a smile.

* * *

**A/N: Yes. I _DID _just end Sukka.**

**What now? Hmmmmm. I don't know. I guess we'll just have to find out. (Tokka maybe perhaps YESSSS?!?.....sorry. That was uncalled for.)**

**Review please! :D**


	6. Chapter 6: Beginning

**A/N**- **DA DA DA! And it is done! Finally, right? **

**I spent a lot of time off from this (and writing as a whole) because…I'm lazy. Actually, I'm not but I had to let something fall to the wayside for awhile. I've been really swamped with school, work, karate, forensics (public speaking...basically, I'm insane and I act out characters. Fun stuff,man) photography, and choir stuff. But these past two weeks, I've been feeling really antsy, so I knew it was time to get back to writing (one of those weird writer senses….like Spidey senses, only better!) I have really easy standardized testing this week so expect a lot from me. I start writing as soon as I finish. :D AS ALWAYS: Read and review. It keeps me going.**

**Without further adieu, enjoy.**

**Song- Noticed by Mute Math (Sick of my song recommendations, yet?)**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Avatar or any of the other epic components of the show. I am, in fact, an owner of snarky remarks. For every one you make, I get a quarter. Pay up.**

* * *

Chapter 6- Beginning

"So, tell me Mr. Oh-great-and-powerful-Firelord, how's the state of the world these days?" I asked as I flopped down on the bed in my guest room.

Zuko dropped my bag next to an ornate dresser on the opposite wall. "Oh, you know the usual. There's been the occasional riot in some of the major cities, but very quiet otherwise. I'm really just up to my eyeballs in treaties between towns to approve. There are also a lot of borders that need to be re- defined. My father really left me a mess to clean up. Such a sweet guy, right?"

I smiled at him and nodded my head. As overwhelmed as Zuko was with being Firelord, I knew he was finally happy. How could he have not been? He had been through so much to get where he was. The once banished, scarred prince was replaced with a dignified leader.

Zuko stared at me for a few moments. "Katara, you look exhausted. Take a nap or something, you need it."

"No, no, no! I'm fine," I said between yawns. I was so excited that I hadn't noticed how tired I was. I didn't sleep the night before or on the ferry; I had been too frenzied. I guess sleep deprivation had finally caught up with me.

"Not tired, huh?" he smirked.

"Well, maybe just a bit," I consented.

"I'll tell you what," he said as he made his way to the door, "you close your yes for awhile and I'll send someone to get you in a few hours, alright?"

"Okay," I agreed. I pulled back the giant quilt covering the surface area of the mattress. "Any idea of what time it is?"

He crossed back to the window in my room and stuck his head outside. "About an hour until, I would say. The shadows are disappearing exponentially."

I smiled at these last words; his sophisticated cadence always gave me a chuckle. I pulled my boots off before climbing into bed. Zuko shut the blinds with a snap and walked back over to the door.

"I want to be woken up in three hours, okay? That's more than enough sleep for me."

"Sounds good," he replied as he shut the door behind him. The room was significantly darker now, and I let the mattress absorb my form. The bed was so low to the ground that it made the gigantic room seem even larger. I closed my eyes, letting the whoosh of the wind whipping around the palace lull me into oblivion. I could barely hear voice of the townspeople below I was so high up. I let the world disappear, fly away with the warm breezes soaring up in the high towers…

* * *

I woke up in what appeared to be the crystal catacombs below Ba Sing Se. The craggy, floor imprinted my cheek with a dusty pattern.

I groaned as I lifted myself off of the cave's floor. I stumbled around looking for some hint of how I arrived here, looking for something familiar.

"Hello?" I called throughout the deserted cave. "Is anyone here?"

Silence was my only response.

My confusion quickly turned to fear, and I could feel myself panicking, searching desperately for a way out of these caves. As beautiful as it way, it held too many painful memories. I ran my hands over the green crystal barrier Aang had protected himself in last year. I turned away from the waterfall leading to the back streets above. I knelt down next to the river and tried orient myself as much as possible.

Why was I here? So much had gone wrong in this one place. No one had been down here, since I gathered. Shattered crystals were strewed about the ground, and scorch marks were permanently burned into the rocks. The citizens of the city above never knew about what had happened. The only memories this cavern held were those of loss and defeat. Why did this place have to haunt me once more?

Just then, I heard a splash resonate throughout the cave. Something- or someone- was in the river. I looked at the rippled water and pushed myself up and away from the bank as I possibly could. I sunk into a defensive position, water sack open in case of emergency. The water became glass again, and an eerie silence hung over the area. I dropped my pose and turned around to find an exit out of this place. Suddenly, a bright light emitted from the river. I spun around, and stared dumbfounded at the display. A figure shrouded in fog appeared in the fading light.

"Katara?" a familiar echoing voice inquired.

Foolishly, I answered. "Yes?"

The smoke ceased and revealed a bald, adolescent monk sitting in a meditative position on the water.

"Aang," I whispered. He smiled genuinely in my direction.

"I knew you would find me, Katara. You always come back," he said placidly.

I had so much to say to him. Since his departure, I had been left with hundreds of unanswered cliffhangers. But, all I could muster was,

"So, how've you been?"

A deeper version of his childish laugh answered. A chill was sent down my spine. "Alright I guess." His smile disappeared. "I wish you could answer the same question in such a manner…truthfully of course. You look so…exhausted."

I snorted. "I've been told.'

He made no acknowledgment that he had heard me. "And to think that I did that to you... You trusted me, loved me, cared for me, and I betrayed you." He looked at me square in the face. "I'll never forgive myself for that. I'm so sorry."

My throat closed and I was left mute. He watched me struggle to get a few words out at first, hung his head silently, and waited for me to compose myself. Since words failed, I moved myself to the river bank and sat eye level with him. I resisted the urge to reach my hand out toward him; I feared that if I were to touch him, he would vanish again.

Finally, I choked out my response. "I always come back, Aang. I'll always be here, no matter what you put me through."

He grimaced and offered me a sad look. "You offer so much security for one so unstable." When I didn't respond, he continued, "We're here for a reason, you know. You and I. There's been some trouble and I could really use your help, Katara."

"How?"

"I need you to find me."

I tilted my head to the side. "But you're right here…?"

He nodded his head. "For now, yes." He looked around the cavern once more. "But I won't be soon. And neither will you. This is going to be a lot of work, Katara, but I need you to do this. I couldn't think of a better person to entrust with this job."

I shook my head with confusion. "What do you mean? How can I help you when I can't even understand what you're talking about?"

He shrugged lightly and replied, "You know as much as I do. But you're a smart girl; you'll figure it out."

Distantly, I heard a crash reverberate through the hidden cave. Aang's face fell and he looked at me fearfully.

"We need to split…now!"

"But Aang-!" I yelled at his now disappearing figure.

"I know you can do it, Katara. I trust you," he said as he vanished completely.

And then, I was alone in the eerie catacombs once more. I couldn't process any of the situation that had happened. I collapsed to the floor, and lied there until I could subconsciously hear the sound of my name being called…

* * *

"Katara! Katara, wake up!" Sokka demanded, shaking me awake. "The sun is starting to set!"

I rubbed my eyes furiously, snapping back to consciousness. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed. "you slept almost the whole day away. I tried to wake you up earlier, but you were unresponsive. He scrutinized my face, realizing how caught up in my mind I was. "Are you alright?"

My hand shot to my forehead. Sure enough it was sticky and sweaty. "Yeah…I just had a dream…Sokka?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever had a dream you could have sworn was real?"

His eyes bored into mine. "Why?" he demanded.

I stretched and yawn in a faux attempt at being nonchalant. "No reason. Just had a weird dream, that's all."

He rolled his eyes and rose from the side of the bed. "Whatever, Katara, just get yourself ready and meet everyone downstairs for dinner in a half hour."

"You got it, chief," I replied with a wave as he departed.

I walked over to the vanity by the window and brushed my hair out. After a few strokes, I noticed a small, wax sealed envelope sticking out about halfway behind the mirror. I picked it up, weighing the parcel in my hand. My name was printed on the front in an unrecognizable scrawl. I ripped through the seal and shook out the contents of the envelope.

And out fell a silver, thumb sized key with a small note tied around the top.


	7. Chapter 7: Finding

**I'm going to save the author's note for the end of the chapter for very soon to be apparent reasons. It's going to be a long one. I apologize in advanced. Enjoy.**

**Song- Conspiracy by Paramore**

**Diclaimer- I do not own Avatar or any of the other epic components of the show. I just get a kick out of writing random plot lines about it.**

* * *

Chapter 7-Finding

I stumbled downstairs in a frantic stupor and hoped that no one would recognize how utterly freaked out I was. Unfortunately for me, I didn't have that kind of luck. Mai happened to be sulking my way as I came down the stairs. How Mai could still be so gloomy was a mystery to me. I tried to stay out of her sight, but she noticed me right away.

"Oh spirits, what happened to you? You look like you're going to faint," she exclaimed in the most emotional way a monotonous person can.

_Oh, what the heck, just tell her_, I thought begrudgingly.

"I...I had this dream about being in Ba Sing Se and it was so real and Aang was there talking to me and he told me he needed help and I could have sworn..." Mai leveled me a blank stare, and I took it as my cue to cut to the chase. I changed my approach and simply handed her the key.

She looked at the key then back at me. "A key? You're all freaked out over this?" she droned.

I shook my head fiercely. "The note. Read the note."

Doing as she was told, she unraveled the minuscule scroll and cast me a puzzled look. Inscribed on the parchment was a single character.

"Moon? What does that have to do with you freaking out?"

I took the envelope from her hands. "Nothing if you weren't there for it," I snapped.

I walked away and tried to remember which hallway would lead me to the dining porch. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder.

"Katara," Mai said softly," I'm sorry. I can be a pretty good listener, just be patient. I didn't travel with you guys, you know."

As if I even needed to be reminded. "It's just too weird," I tried to explain. "If Aang is able to communicate with me in a dream, then that means something is wrong. I don't know what, but something."

"Sounds like you aren't sure about things."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Mai," I said offhandedly as I headed into the hallway to the right.

"Other way," Mai directed. I smiled bashfully and entered the other hallway. I resumed my search for the porch, opening many dead ends and bathroom doors. I finally found the rice paper porch door. I took my time, as I always had when I was at the Peace Conference, and recited the words imprinted on the door.

"Your day's problems will not be allowed a seat at the table," I repeated quietly. I slid the door back and walked to the table with a composed, light-hearted attitude.

"Hey there, she-who-sleeps-for-many-days," Zuko greeted with a smile.

I returned the favor and took my seat next to Sokka. Dinner carried on in a friendly fashion, and I tried to keep my mind as far away from the envelope in my pocket as possible. The weight of the key seemed to double, and I found it a struggle to keep myself composed. After what felt like hours, the dinner ended. I stood up and bolted back to my room. As I paced the huge expanse of the room, I tried to put my mind in some sort of order.

I knew that Aang needed my help and that he somehow brought the key to me.

I didn't know why he was gone, where he was, how he got the parcel to me or how Yue and/or the moon had to do with it.

All of the odds were stacked against me.

Suddenly, I heard two light wraps on my door.

"C-come in," I stuttered. Sokka's form replaced the candle light flickering in the hallway.

"You positive everything is alright? You bolted from the table and I just ran into Mai. She said you were all freaked out about something."

_Spirits, shouldn't have told Mai._

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, faltering on the last word.

Sokka sent me his "paranoid skepticism" look. I grabbed his arm and pulled him to the window with the vanity next to it.

"I found this in the mirror."

"An envelope?" I rolled my eyes for the umpteenth time throughout that day.

"Open it," I commanded.

Sokka examined the key carefully before opening the note.

"Do....do you think this has something to do with Yue?" he said pointing to the note.

I shrugged. "I thought about that. But I couldn't figure how she would."

He looked up to the moon and then returned his eyes back to the key in his hand. In the moonlight, his skin looked sickeningly pale; almost ghostly.

"I've seen this key before," he realized. "At the North Pole. Yue wore this around her neck. I think this leads to the Spirit Oasis."

I snatched the key away from him and held it close. "I'm going to get a key for this tomorrow. I think you may be right, and if that's the case, we need to get to the North Pole immediately. "

He nodded. "I think Zuko would understand. I'll try to find the easiest way to get there. You go tell Zuko, okay?"

We then departed our separate ways; Sokka down the expansive hallway to the East tower library and, I to the south corridor.

The large, ornate double doors on the south wing of the palace stood unbelievably high. I grabbed one of the enormous handles and pulled the surprisingly light door open. The door opened to a long, dimly light hallway, littered with countless doors on either side. I followed the corridor to an arch at the end, which led into a literal "great" room. The room's ceiling seemed to be miles high, disappearing into ominous darkness. The room was lined with endless books and scrolls, and had several plushy looking furniture. The larger than life fireplace was lit, roaring to life. The temperature had dropped that night, but not nearly enough to light a fire. I snickered at the superfluous ambiance.

Zuko entered from a door on the opposite wall.

"Well," he started, trying to knock the look of shock off of his face, "I didn't expect it to be you that entered."

I paid him no mind. "I need to talk to you."

"That's apparent," he said as he motioned for me to sit down. "Now, what's on your mind?"

"Sokka and I need to go to the North Pole....at once."

"That was blunt." He stared at my face for a long moment. "You found Aang," he said simply.

"Yeah, I did in this dream I had tod-, " I stopped myself quickly. "You knew?"

"Aang came here right after he dropped you off home. He felt so...ashamed. He told me he needed to escape for awhile. To be as un- earthbound as possible. I think he mentioned something about the spirit world. I offered him to keep his body here, for safe keeping, but he refused. Said he needed to be alone." Zuko shrugged. "I guess I could empathize."

I absorbed this information, trying (but epically failing) to keep my cool.

"You knew and you didn't tell me? How dare you? You might have been his mentor, but you're my friend, too! You saved my life, and I saved yours. Have you no loyalty?!" I was practically screeching the last part.

"Katara," he said painfully, running his hand through his hair, "Stop doing this. I was there for you at the Peace Conference when Aang was slipping away. You needed it. "

I shook my head. "I trusted you; I put so much faith in you, and you threw it away. I though we had a bond..."

"Stop," he interrupted. "Don't you do that to me. My life is finally put together. I'm welcome at my home once again, and I have people close to me. Mai loves me after all I've put her through and my friends care so much. Why can't you be one of them? Don't ask for more. Besides, I would never be enough for you."

I jumped backward, surprised by his outburst. How long had he thought this? Of course I had noticed how our relationship was, but I knew where the boundaries were. I wasn't completely out of my mind.

"Zuko, you know I don't-" I couldn't release anymore sound.

He stared at me, waiting and confident in his previous words. "Whatever, Katara. Just be my friend." His words had a biting quality, indicating that he was still really angry.

"I would offer you guys an airship, but you would need a firebender to accompany you. Would you want that?"

I shook my head, not bothering with words anymore.

"Okay, then I suggest you look at the animals at the farm downtown. See which ones can swim, preferably in freezing climates. "

I felt all of my sadness morph into anger, just like how I had always been. I was suddenly angry at EVERYONE. Zuko, myself and especially Aang. After all he put me through, he requested my help. I knew I couldn't refuse, either. Our relationship depended each other always coming to the rescue.

With that I rose, desperate to get out of the room. As I was about to exit back through the archway, he called,

"You have to take Toph, by the way. I didn't call her here just so she could sit around here bored."

I spun back around. Finally, I found my voice. "Toph's coming?"

He nodded. "Actually, she should be arriving fairly soon- late tonight, early tomorrow. I figured you would want to see her."

"Thank you," I said before finally leaving for good. I didn't even noticed how quickly I was running. _Up two flights of stairs, down a hallway, hard left, one flight of stairs, right hallway, left hallway, last flight of stairs. _I chanted the directions to my room in my head as I sprinted through the extensive palace. When I finally got to the guest wing, I nearly barreled over Sokka.

"Hey! Katar- AHHHHHH!" He fell to the ground with a thud. "What's your problem? Geez!" He brushed himself off as he got back on his feet.

Before he could say more, I bolted into my room and locked it. I jumped into bed, pulling the covers over my head, and tried to punch a wall or two in.

Outside, I heard a new voice scolding Sokka for "complaining like the little prissy girl you secretly are". I could identify that voice from anywhere. The high pitched, demanding voice brought back swelling memories of flying rocks, mud fights, and melons in lord form. I resisted the urge to break down my door and hug the owner of the voice.

She sent the door smashing to the floor in a crumpled heap for me.

"Oh spirits, hiding from your problems again, Sweetness? Sometimes I wonder if either of you change at all."

* * *

**A.N- Well, unless you tend to be oblivious, you probably noticed how I clearly included Zutara in a Kataang story. Some may be confused, so I'll share my shipping insight.**

**I don't hate any ships, really. Most are apparent in the show. Except ones with people who've never met (Jetzula, Hakursa) or anyone with Azula (Azula and evil should just get married and create little destructive satan spawn. End of story.). Honestly, as much as many may hate to admit it, Zutara is in the show. It's more of a "what if?" though, not a love relationship."If I wasn't madly in love with Mai/Aang, what would we be?" In my own opinion, probably nothing. I tend to keep it that, and only that. That is not to say, that I don't enjoy a good Zutara (and by good, I mean believeable) fanfic. Well, only if Mai isn't mentioned. If she is, my heart breaks into 20345634634 trillion pieces. WAAAAHHH!!**

**I think the entire Avatar "shipping war" can be ridiculous at times and really....infantile. It perfectly fine to express your opnions in a proper manner, but don't be obnoxious. If someone has a different belief, put on your big boy/girl panties and get over it. We're not Twitards. Gosh. ( Just for the record, I was into Twilight when it was still a cool little cult-y thing. Not rabid fan, but I enjoyed reading the books. At least up until Breaking Dawn. *shudder* I got really pissed when the fourth book and movies were made. Ugh. So, I think I have total ability to bash. Lol. )**

**Have an argument or want express your opinion? PM me or something. I'd love to hear your point of view.**

**~Skylee :D**


	8. Chapter 8: Leaving

**A/N: Oh. Here I am. New chapter. SAY WHATTT.**

**I actually have everything for this story planned out. It comes out to be 14 chapters and an epilogue. This means future chapters will be much longer. Lots of stuff happening. DON'T EVEN TRY BLINKING. You'll be lost. I guarantee. So I'll hopefully have this done by end of summer? Yes? I hope so. Even though I love writing this.**

**Reviews are appreciated. :D**

**Song- Earth by Imogen Heap**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of the other epic components of the show. But I did come up with the whalewolf! I'm making a few sketches...I'll post the link later. When I'm not lazy.**

* * *

Chapter 8- Leaving

"So, you're telling me that you think Aang is trying to communicate with you?" Toph asked me slowly, as if she really hadn't heard me the first five times I attempted to explain the situation.

"Pretty much, yeah," Sokka replied for me.

Toph, who had been sitting at the edge of her seat, finally sat back with a huff.

"Congratulations guys," she proclaimed, flailing her arms up in the air around her, "you've managed to completely weird me out within a half hour of my arrival. Way to be."

I opened my mouth to say something, but Sokka cut me off…again.

"Your sarcasm hurts sometimes, you know that?"

"Cry about it later."

"Well," I started, attempting to get everyone back on track, "I just talked to Zuko and-"

"NO!!" Sokka interrupted. "I won't 'cry about it later'! I won't cry about it ever! Congratulate yourself on…on…on being a huge jerk!"

"Snoozles, you _really_ need to lighten up. And act like you're actually over the age of seven."

"Guys."

"Wow, that's inspiring coming from someone who SAVES the bugs she picks out of her toes at the end of the week!"

"You guys."

"That was one time! And I didn't save them! I only used them to mock you trying to read a map. I squished them after!"

I sighed. "Come on, guys. Stop."

"I'll have you know that the map was printed completely wrong. Everything was backwards!"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure that happens all of the time. Map makers are really great at printing maps backwards. I'm BLIND and even I couldn't mess that up. Just admit that you're being a stubborn crybaby. Who can't read maps."

"They're called cartographers and I'm the best-"

"Stop flirting and let's get down to business!"

Finally, they shut up. They mumbled a few half-hearted apologies and turned their attention back to me.

"Okay, as I was saying, I talked to Zuko and he says that we should look for some animal that can transport us to the North Pole. Quickly."

"How about the eel hound? Iroh loaned Toph, Suki and I one during Sozin's comet."

I shook my head. "No, no…it needs to be stronger, hardier; something that won't mind the cold water. I think we need to go check downtown at that huge animal sanctuary."

"Sounds good to me. But we better get to the North Pole fast, or make a few stops on the way. I don't think I can handle being completely blind for that long. Ugh." Toph shuddered.

"We'll see what we can do. I'll make a schedule and map out our route. I'll see where and how long we can stop for," Sokka chimed in. His face lit up with the possibilities.

"Oh great, _another_ Sokka schedule," Toph groaned, irritated.

Sokka opened his mouth to retaliate, but I stopped him before he could start retort.

"Whatever makes you happy, Sokka. Just don't combine our meals and bathroom breaks."

"Fine," he consented begrudgingly.

"I think that's about all of the planning we can do right now. Let's be sure to get up early so we can leave within in the next day or so."

"Augh...." Toph and Sokka chorused.

"I hate mornings," Sokka complained.

"What's the point of waking up early if I can't even function before noon?" Toph added.

"We're getting up before nine. End of story."

"Katara…," they whined in unison.

"Oh, grow up, you two. I'll see you guys in the morning." I stood up, returned to the candle lit hallway and propped the busted door to my room on the doorway. _Someone will notice it's broken eventually._

As I got ready for bed, a new sense of hope washed over me for the first time in months. Suddenly, my life was back in motion. The taste of adventure was burning my insides and giving me a drive to push forward. So what if Aang still didn't want to be with me? So what if I really wanted to drop kick him across half of Ba Sing Se? It was time for me to get moving, to focus my energy on something else. If not for love, than for my sanity.

* * *

"And you yelled at me for conning those Fire Nation thugs," Toph said, continually shaking her head.

"I did not con that man! He's doing a great job taking care of those animals. I'm just taking two off of his hands."

"For the price of one," Sokka added.

"Oh shush. I didn't hear either one of you telling me to stop. And let's look on the bright side! Now one of us can ride their own whalewolf."

Sokka turned his head around and looked at one of the huge beasts that was trailing on a leash behind him.

"Thank the spirits these seem to be pretty calm. I would not approve of towing a ferocious dog…fish…thing."

"Whales aren't fish, Sokka. You SHOULD know that considering you've gone whaling with Dad before."

"Ah, words, words, words. What do they really mean anyway?"

Toph rolled her blank eyes in my direction and I responded with a sigh. It had been a long morning. I had to practically drag Toph and Sokka out of bed, and to make matters worse, they were fight-flirting the entire day away. Just like old times. It got on my nerves quickly. Everything was so tangible now; us finding Aang, seeing the world again. The excited feeling dropped into my stomach again. I didn't even notice how fast I was walking until Toph told me to ease up.

"Take a chill pill, would ya?"

"Sorry," I said, slowly my self to a brisk walk, "I'm just really excited. Everything's turning back to the way it was before. I'm just so….what?" I asked as Sokka shot Toph a remorseful look.

"What?" I repeated once more.

"Katara," Toph said placing her hand gently on my arm, "don't get your hopes up. I'm saying this for your own good. Everything could turn out horribly wrong. We don't have any idea at what we'll find. Aang could be dead for all we know!"

"And that's supposed to comfort me how…?"

Sokka cleared his throat and lightly brushed Toph aside. "What I think she means to say is, we don't know what we're getting ourselves into. Aang might not want to follow us back when or if we find him. I…we…don't want you to get your hopes up for no reason. That's all."

I suppressed a sigh. I knew Sokka would think this. That I only wanted to see Aang. In all actuality, I just wanted a change; something else to set my mind toward. Finding Aang…well, that would make everything ten times better. And if he decided to…no. I wouldn't allow myself to think of the best case scenarios.

"Guys, I think I'll be just fine. Seriously."

"Sugar Queen, please. Don't lie to yourself or us. We all know that you're still gaga over him. Just…don't freak if things don't work out how you want them to, got it?"

This was not a battle I could win. I looked at my feet and back up again.

"Alright," I agreed finally, and we continued our trek back to the palace in silence.

As soon as we got back, we tied the whalewolves outside on a tree, and gathered our belongings upstairs. We met Zuko in the huge entryway to say our goodbyes. He shook Toph and Sokka's hands, threw them into a giant bear hug and wished them safe travels. I tried my hardest to keep our goodbye short. Zuko walked straight in front of me, clasped his hand on my shoulder and said,

"Find him."

"As if I would do otherwise," I replied tonelessly. He pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this with us."

Exasperated, I extricated myself out of his grip. "Goodbye, Zuko," I stated simply and left the palace with Toph and Sokka.

We unhooked the whalewolves and hiked our way down to the water. When we reach the beach, Sokka stopped us and told us the game plan.

"Okay children, before we start, here's how it is. Toph, you and I are going to share one wolf. I call him Wolfy."

"Do you even know if it's a boy?" Toph asked, disregarding everything else he had told her.

"Not the slightest idea. But it looks like a boy to me and I dub-ith thee Wolfy!" He made a waving, grandiose gesture towards the animal.

"Fine, whatever," Toph said flippantly.

Sokka then turned to me. "His name is Kawazoe, Lord of the Whales. You'll be riding him and carrying the supplies since we don't have room."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm calling_ her_ Kya. Females have the lighter eyes by nature. And if you actually paid attention, you would notice that Wolfy's eyes are sky blue. Sir, I'm sorry inform you, but your whalewolf is a girl."

He turned and looked at the beast sitting before him. "I'm still calling her Wolfy…" he said quietly. He shook his head and got back down to business. "We'll be stopping at Scorched Earth cove tonight. We'll make camp on the shores. It's just about a thirty mile ride. We should be there by dusk. Okay?"

Toph and I nodded. With that, we departed the main shores of the Fire Nation and headed off into the seemingly endless ocean.

* * *

Though I was deep in sleep just minutes before, I could slightly process Toph and Sokka's voices' carrying over from the other side of the fire. In a hazy stupor, I strained to hear what they were saying.

"I just can't see her get hurt again," Sokka said solemnly.

"If she's willing to put herself through it," Toph replied, "there's nothing you can really do."

"Yeah." The fire popped and whistled. "Toph?"

"Hm?"

"After all he put her through, why is she doing this? Helping him?"

The fire filled the silent gap for a few moments. I held my breath and strained, waiting to hear a reply.

"Well, Snoozles," Toph said finally, "I can only see two options for someone in Katara's situation. You can either despise someone for leaving, or embrace them for coming back."

I stopped listening after that. I sunk down deeper into my sleeping bag and hoped my night of sleep would bring more answers than questions.

Unfortunately, it didn't.


End file.
